Hello all. (100% new to tortoises)

[Kosic]

Hello all, i'm Dell.

I've been interested in getting a tortoise since i was younger, when i was 6 i saw a pet tortoise at my Nans house. Ever since i've wanted one, that was 14 years ago, and now it's been on my mind alot recently.

So i'm now looking into detail what i would need to get for a starter of a tortoise set-up.

I believe this will be the one i am getting from my local reptile shop.
"Spur Thighed Tortoise; "
(http://www.charltonreptiles.co.uk/Livestock.html)

I don't know much behind the breed, nor much behind how to keep a tortoise, i've read a little into it, but i keep getting good feedback then a website with bad feedback saying their hard to look after.

I was going to look into getting it a tank set-up which would of cost 173.50£ (British pounds), which is very expensive and it put me to worry about getting one, but i saw the thread with own made living areas which made it seem alot cheaper and fun to create your own home for a tortoise.

I don't know if this is the topic i should be asking the common questions about the tortoise, or if it's somewhere else.

Questions i got on my mind;

1) What type of food/diet should i have for this breed ?
2) What heat lamps would i need? (know nothing on this sort, so links to something or good explaination on it)
3) What would be the common things i need to get my living area done, and to make the tortoise happy (a must basicly).
4) Soil? wood chips, or what?
5) Heat lamps and pads? or just the one?

I was thinking of making my own living area for my tortoise, so it will be cheaper for me to pay out.
I am thinking something on the lines of;

This topic is becoming alot longer than i thought.
If someone knows where i could find everything i need to know about owning a tortoise, cleaning, feeding, and hybantion aswell everything else i should know, it would help mostly.
Aswell if people could give their feedback on a tortoise as a pet, how easy it is to look after, because at the moment i'm thinking it will be a difficult thing to handly with all it's needs and what i've read. =[

It's most likely me worry way to much than i should be.

Thanks for taking the time to read my topic

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Dell and welcome to the forum. I'm sorry, but there isn't a one-size-fits-all place where you can get ALL the information you require to set up a tortoise. You just have to do the research. Read all the past postings on the "Geek Greeks" section of the forum. I'm sure all your questions will be answered. But if you have a SPECIFIC question, we'll all try to help you with it.

Yvonne

 

[spikethebest]

Welcome to the Forum. That setup looks nice. One thing I would be concerned about is how close that heat lamp on the back right is to the tortoise and the rocks. typically you want it to be 8-10 inches away. Tortoises can heat up very quickly, dry out, dehydrate, and to much constant high heat isnt a good thing.

Heating pads work good, but you also need something to act like the sun. Natural sunlight is always the best thing.

I am sure more people will post, so good luck, and it is always a learning process!

 

[Kosic]

Welcome to the Forum. That setup looks nice. One thing I would be concerned about is how close that heat lamp on the back right is to the tortoise and the rocks. typically you want it to be 8-10 inches away. Tortoises can heat up very quickly, dry out, dehydrate, and to much constant high heat isnt a good thing.

Heating pads work good, but you also need something to act like the sun. Natural sunlight is always the best thing.

I am sure more people will post, so good luck, and it is always a learning process!

The photo of the set-up was taken from this forum, the encloser part of it. It's a small idea of where i will work from. Something cheap aswell.

Would you say owning a tortoise is hard work, or can be easy for anyone (without the best knowledge to all tortoises)?

 

[Kosic]

I read on the Greek Geek part of the forum and came across this guide which is doing me well with information (Posted by Dan).

http://www.tlady.clara.net/TortGuide/Diet.htm

 

[Laura]

HI, Welcome.. Another thing to consider.. will you be going away to school? Can your tort come with you? Who will care for it?
Outside time with Real sun, is very important to good health.
There is a lot of info here. Take and use what works for you.
Also keep in mind the adult size of the tort you will be getting. How soon will it reach that size and where will you be in your life?

 

[Tim/Robin]

I believe this will be the one i am getting from my local reptile shop.
"Spur Thighed Tortoise; "
(http://www.charltonreptiles.co.uk/Livestock.html)

That is a fine selection for a tortoise. Pretty easy to care for. And there are some real experts with this particular kind of tortoise who belong to this forum. We will all help you out.

I don't know much behind the breed, nor much behind how to keep a tortoise, i've read a little into it, but i keep getting good feedback then a website with bad feedback saying their hard to look after.

Like any pet, you have to have enough time and money to provide for the animal. As soon as possible, find a veterinarian in your area who is experienced with reptiles. You may need one some day. And you will have to do a little bit of learning about the animals because they are much different than dogs and cats that everyone knows so well. However, if you do things right from the beginning, and purchase a healthy animal, you shouldn't have troubles.

I was going to look into getting it a tank set-up which would of cost 173.50£ (British pounds), which is very expensive and it put me to worry about getting one, but i saw the thread with own made living areas which made it seem alot cheaper and fun to create your own home for a tortoise.

I think it can be done much cheaper than that. At least for the initial setup. As your tort grows you may upgrade eventually. Lots of people make rubbermaid type containers work, like the photo you showed.

Aspen shavings are most commonly recommended for tortoises. Not cedar or pine, but aspen. The others are irritants to the nose/eyes.

Questions i got on my mind;

1) What type of food/diet should i have for this breed ?

High fiber, mainly greens. Things at your store such as endive, escarole, romain lettuce are good choices. You can add some grated squash or carrot. Things from your yard that you can feed (if you know there has not been pesticide or herbicide sprayed) include dandelion leaves and flowers, grape leaves, hibiscus leaves and flowers. Don't feed it meat, like cat or dog food. And fruit should be feed only once in a great while.

2) What heat lamps would i need? (know nothing on this sort, so links to something or good explaination on it)

You will want a basking temperature of about 85-90 degrees on one end, and a cooler area about 75-80 degrees. So get a couple thermometers to put at each end. The tortoise needs to have a choice of warm or cool areas since they cannot regulate their own body temperature.

Most people use clamp lamps that can be purchased at a pet store and a bulb for reptiles. You will likely go with a low watt bulb like 40 or 50 watt, but you will have to experiment to get the right temperature depending on the temp in the room, the distance from the light to the bottom of the cage, etc. You can also buy clamp lamps at feed stores (the chicken incubation section) or hardware stores. Also buy a UVB bulb (not "full spectrum" or "UVA") or supplement with a reptile calcium/vitamin D3 product that you sprinkle on the food (like you would salt on your own food). THe UVB bulb helps the tort make its own vitamin D3. If you don't buy such a bulb, you will need to supplement.

There are basically 4 types of bulbs. One like shown in the link above will provide heat and light. Another will provide heat, light, and UVB light (these are called mercury vapor bulbs and can get hot!). The third type of bulb is a cermic heat emitter. It provides no light and just gets warm. And the last type just provides the UVB without extra heat.

3) What would be the common things i need to get my living area done, and to make the tortoise happy (a must basicly).
4) Soil? wood chips, or what?

You can use aspen bedding from the pet store. Some people have success mixing half sand half soil. Also cypress mulch is popular. Stick with one of these three choices.

Your tortoise will like something to hide under, maybe a couple of hides - one on the cool end, one on the warm end. You can buy a rubbermaid plastic container, turn it upside down, and cut a door on one end. That is cheap and easy to clean. The pet store will have logs and wood hides that you can buy also.

You will need to provide a shallow dish for food. Some people soak their baby tortoises daily, and so don't provide a water dish in the cage. A soak in warm water that comes just high enough to cover the body half way (remember tortoises can't swim) will give the tort a chance to drink. They will also poop in it (you can change the water if they poop). If you decide to provide a water dish in the cage it should be very shallow, like the top of a margaine container. If the baby gets flipped upside down, he cannot right himself. So obviously you will not want water deep enough in the cage that he could drown in if he flipped upside down.

5) Heat lamps and pads? or just the one?

No under tank pad. Tortoises need their heat from above, from a bulb. The bulb can be one that provides light too, like the link I gave you above. Or it can be a bulb that only provides heat like a ceramic heat emitter.

If you are committed to your tortoise, you will be successful in setting up a satisfactory home for not a lot of money. Do your research online and know what you want BEFORE you walk into a pet store. Don't rely on sales staff to tell you what you need. Make a list beforehand. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Links to a couple of online pet stores in the UK
www.forpets.co.uk
petsparade.co.uk/reptiles

 

[Kosic]

Thank you Tim/Robin,

Your reply has helped me out alot, i will consider looking into as much information.
Reading some earlier did put me off the idea of getting a tort. Everything keeps coming back to a major attention issue to the tort. I know it wont be much to look after one, but i tend to worry on the smaller issues like this, something i've grown to live with.

So instead of rushing into getting a tort (which i felt like i was leading towards). I will take it a little slower, get the information as i need and may plan getting one later this year, or the start of next. When i don't feel the small worry of not doing the tort caring right.

 

[Crazy1]

Dell, welcome to the forum. While you are doing research I would look at different types of tortoise. Many have different needs and one may suit you better than another. When you said "spur thigh tortoise" I thought "African spur Thigh tortoise" or Sulcata. These grow to be about 100+ lbs. But then I say the picture and realized you were talking about a Mediterranean spur thigh or Greek Tortoise they only get about 3 lbs. Big, big difference. So look into a lot of different species and subspecies and find the one that is just right for you.

 

[Jentortmom]

For a starter setup for the little guy you could use a large rubbermaid tote if you can find one like that. I like the 55gal or bigger ones, that would be your cheapest enclosure I think to start off with.

 

[Jacqui]

Hi Dell! I am not going to add to what the others have said, they have already given you a lot to think about and it sounds like your really level headed and giving this thought, that impresses me. Sounds like you have the potential to be a wonderful tort owner.

 

[james]

does the plastic heat up and give off fumes when using a rubbermaid bin like this?